Former WWE star Bea Priestley recently disclosed that All Elite Wrestling (AEW) had offered Piper Niven a contract back in 2018. This occurred during a British wrestling tour called Fight Forever held over Christmas, which also featured Priestley and other wrestlers including Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes. At the time, however, Piper Niven had already signed a deal with NXT UK, preventing her from accepting AEW’s offer.
Details of the AEW Fight Forever Tour and Contract Offers
Priestley explained that the Fight Forever tour brought together several British wrestlers, with AEW’s leadership closely watching their performances.
“I got picked up with AEW because there was a British tour over Christmas in 2018. I think it was called Fight Forever. I don’t think the company exists anymore. They had me on it, Piper was on it, and Cody and Brandi were on it. So was Kip Sabian. Basically, I had a match with Brandi and Cody [Rhodes] loved it. Brandi [Rhodes] was really happy. Piper, the same thing, had a match with Brandi and they were really happy,”
Priestley revealed.
Following these appearances, AEW offered contracts to Priestley, Kip Sabian, and Piper Niven. Priestley shared,
“They basically offer me, Kip, and Piper a contract. Piper had already signed with NXT UK. She couldn’t do it, but Kip was like, ‘Yes, I want to move to America.’ I was like, ‘I still want to do Japan.’ [AEW] hadn’t started at that point and I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t want to jump, no pun intended, all in, to something where I’m not technically sure what I’m getting into. They were like, ‘Do you want a part-time deal? You can still work full-time STARDOM.’ I was like, ‘Perfect.’”
Priestley’s Decision to Join AEW on a Part-Time Basis
Initially, Priestley’s AEW arrangement was on a per-match basis while she primarily focused on wrestling in Japan‘s STARDOM promotion. She recounted,
“It was per match appearance until Kenny (Omega), who has always been a good mentor for me. I think he’s always liked how dedicated I am to Japan and that I mix the Joshi and Western style a little bit. Kenny sat me down. Christopher Daniels tried to talk to me about signing full-time with AEW. This was September-October 2019, and I explained, ‘I don’t mean any disrespect.’ I was champion in STARDOM at the time as well. ‘I want to dedicate a lot of my time in STARDOM. I don’t want to up and go because you guys are after me and offered me a contract.’ [Daniels] was like, ‘Okay.’”
Following this conversation, Kenny Omega assured Priestley that AEW would accommodate her existing commitments, stating,
“You can still work full-time STARDOM. We also want you full-time here. We’re not going to (conflict with) STARDOM dates, STARDOM can come first. We just want to have you when it fits your STARDOM schedule.”
Priestley appreciated this flexible contract model, as she noted,
“Essentially, what I was already doing, but getting paid on a contract basis and not a per match one, which was great because COVID happened and I was still getting income for a few months.”
Significance of the Piper Niven AEW Contract Offer and What’s Ahead
The revelation of AEW’s early interest in Piper Niven highlights the promotion’s efforts to acquire top British and international wrestling talent during its formative years. While Niven’s existing commitment to NXT UK prevented her from joining AEW at that time, AEW’s willingness to extend part-time contracts demonstrates their flexible approach toward talent management. Bea Priestley’s experience sheds light on how AEW balanced wrestler schedules alongside developing their roster before and during the pandemic. For Piper Niven and other talent, such early offers could influence future opportunities as AEW continues to expand its global presence.
